Frozen Flames
by Yo Xi Wang
Summary: Two people, one from a land of flames, one from a realm of ice, when they meet, will love blossom even though it's forbidden? YamixYugi :UPDATED August 20, 2005:
1. Prologue: Banishment

A/N: Okay. I know I'm probably going to be strangled by everyone who wants me to work on "An Angel in Disguise," but… Well, I've had this idea since November of last year (O.o) and I've finally decided to type it up! ^_^ *ducks rotten fruit and pointy objects* O.O;; 

Gomen nasai to everyone who already started school! I meant that I would update my other fic when my own school starts…which is the beginning of September. ^^;; Oi…sleepiness can do that to you… *hides from even more rotten fruit*

And I know there's a LOT of Y/Y ficcies out there already, but we all just love Y/Y so much, ne? ^^

Disclaimer: *speaks through a microphone thingie that simulates Kazuki Takahashi's voice like the one in the Growlithe police episode from Pokemon* I own Yu-Gi-Oh!!! 

Lawyers: *come with spiked sticks*

YXW: What? I'm speaking as Kazuki Takahashi!!

Lawyers: ……

YXW: …Fine. T.T Ruin my fun, will you? No, I don't own it, satisfied?!

Lawyers: ^_^ *take their leave*

YXW: O.o;; Since when do lawyers smile like that? *shudders*

Imp. Info: This fic is AU (very very AU…you'll see what I mean) and the pairing is Yami/Yugi of course!!! ^.^ If boy/boy stuff bothers you…uh…why are you even here??

Okay, please move onto the fic.

~*~*~*

**_Frozen Flames_**

Prologue: Banishment

A hail of fiery volcanic rocks streaked the sky, acting as rays of light brought to the reddish land. They crashed into the larges of the seas of lava, which parted upon impact, emitting a hissing sound as sizzling lava was overlapped on top of one another. From the murky depths, several figures rose up encased in bubbles made of a thin, filmy jelly-like substance. They were mostly all clothed in dark red and black although some wore a bit of brown. 

One particular figure seemed to have an aura of power radiating off of him. When his protective shell burst, he landed swiftly on the hot, arid ground, and stood to face the others. Although far from youthful, his features were sharp and focused. When everyone had gathered, he rose to address them in a loud booming voice.

"Thank you everyone for coming on such short notice." At the sound of his voice, the other creatures of fire bowed down humbly before their king. "Now, now, no need to be so formal. After all, I'm not going to be your king for much longer."

The crowd then broke into hushed whispers of shock and disbelief, but the leader immediately silenced them with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry. The switch has yet to come for at least a few years. I only wanted to let you all know in advance so that when I die, you will know who will serve as your next king. And that person is my very own son, whom you should all know well." He then motioned to Shimon [1], his advisor and a skilled magic user, who summoned another bubble from the lava.

"Presenting his highness, Prince Yami!" (A/N: Yes, yes, I love the idea of Yami being prince/pharaoh, be it of Egypt or some other world altogether. ^^) Everyone, including the king, was left in shock, however, when the bubble burst, revealing nothing inside.

"Yami…" the king barely managed to keep his fist from shaking with frustration, which was a sight so rare in itself that it was scary. "Just _where has that boy gone off to this time?"_

His advisor beside him seemed to share his master's emotions, knowing that his highness had just reminded the young prince that very morning to not run off again until after the meeting. "I will look for him, your Majesty," he said with a bow, then releasing his fiery wings, he flew off.

The king sighed, letting out his wings as well and beating them as he paced around on the slab of molten rock he stood on. Everyone watched in silence, not wanting to disturb or further anger him. There were a few murmurs about how they could ever manage to cope with such an irresponsible soon-to-be king, but that was all.

~*~*~*

A young teenage boy dug vigorously in the piles of red dust, getting himself covered in it in the process. But he seemed to be enjoying every moment of it. Much like everyone else who lived there, he wore an intense, focused gaze, his sharp ruby-red eyes matching the color of the land perfectly. His spiky hair was so completely caked in red dust that no one would have been able to tell it actually hid black and golden yellow strands underneath. The rich black leather pants he wore, somehow remaining relatively clean, clung to him like a second skin, reflecting off them a reddish hue due to the fact that everything in the world he lived in was some shade of red in nature. He wore no shirt, but it would have been burned to ashes anyway from the two flaming armbands he had strapped on either side. Fire also sprouted from his belt and trailed itself down his pant legs in exotic designs, which was unique to each person much like fingerprints.

All in all, the teen was considered gorgeous, although at the time he was also very dirty and very much in trouble. Suddenly a flaming phoenix flew and landed on his shoulder, nipping his ear urgently. "What is it, Kyu? You want me to find you another fire sprite?" He chuckled, unaware of the signal his pet was trying to give him.

It was a bit too late, however.

"PRINCE YAMI!!"

Yami turned and cringed at the sight of his father's most trusted advisor who was obviously not pleased. Then in a sudden flash of memory, he realized why the advisor, and no doubt the king as well, was so steamed. He groaned inwardly, but managed a sheepish and somewhat guilty smile. "Eheh…is this about the meeting?"

Shimon sighed. The prince was always like this, the adventurous, mischievous, and often forgetful lad whom he had the pleasure and torture of looking after. "Of course this is about the meeting. Now we must get you back quickly." He raised an eyebrow at Yami's appearance, but didn't comment on it. "Don't tell me you were trying to find 'that' again."

"…What's so wrong about it?"

Another sigh. "Prince, you know as well as I do that our people buried the key for a reason. It controls the gate in which things can enter or exit this world. If the gate was carelessly opened, this very world could be ruined."

"Yeah, but still…why must we trap ourselves here? Aren't there other worlds, other colors, and other emotions out there like you told me when I was little? I'm sorry, but red and hot get kind of boring after a while." As he spoke, he fondly stroked Kyu's crimson feathers with a somewhat wistful look in his eyes.

Shimon noticed this and almost felt sorry for the young prince. It would be hard on anyone, to know that there was more out there yet not being able to see it. "It's too great a risk," he answered. "Besides, it's been sealed for centuries. The key is most likely lost in the land for good. Though I do see your point. Now come. We must go." With that, he started flying back through the red clouds.

Yami finally stood, dusting himself off as best he could, and with a sigh, he extended his own wings. The hungry flames licked at the air as he stretched them after having them tucked up so long since he hadn't quite mastered the art of getting them to retract into his body yet. After shooing the phoenix off his shoulder, he took off as well, following the retreating figure of Shimon.

~*~*~*

Meanwhile, all was not well in another area of the fiery world. Contrary to what the king thought, not all of his subjects attended the abrupt meeting he had called. A hooded figure crept through the shadows until it reached the sacred gate everyone marveled at yet feared which linked their world with many others. In its hand it held the rusted, battered up, ancient key that was fabled to be lost for all eternity. If anyone had been there, they would have been witnessing a miracle for the hooded figure attempted the ultimate task.

The large golden gate swung open smoothly, as if time hadn't worn it down at all, and the key-bearer was momentarily blinded by the bright light that shone through it. Luckily, the gate was far enough from the king's meeting place that no one could see it from that far.

"Ah, wonderful," an eerie voice came from beyond the now open gate. "Splendid work, my friend." Then, from the light, stepped in a tall, slim man with long, shiny silver hair cascading onto his shoulders. He was dressed in an outfit not too different from those to lived in the world he had stepped into.

"It was hard work, Mr. Pegasus, but I finally found the key," the hooded figure replied. "Now you must keep your end of the bargain."

"What? Not as much as a word on my choice of costume?" Pegasus stood proudly in the light to show off the effects of the artificial flames he had attached to himself. The other man simply rolled his eyes. "Hmph. Fine. Here you go." He tossed the other a large clear ball filled with sparkly ice shards, who took a minute to admire them before stashing them away.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Pegasus." With a bow, the hooded figure rushed off as quickly as he had come.

Pegasus was left smiling evilly after him. He patted his pocket filled with even more balls of ice, a substance so foreign to this world he had entered that it could easily entrance anyone who lived here. It would be easy to get followers this way. For unbeknownst to the poor addicted man who had let him in, Pegasus was one of the galaxy's power hungry invaders and had already taken over countless worlds with his smooth talk and irresistible items. He had had his eye on this particular world for a long time and had done extensive research on it. Now he was finally here, and a plan was already beginning to form in his mind.

~*~*~*

Yami sighed, absolutely bored out of his mind. Oh the horror he faced when he returned with Shimon several days ago. Not only did he get a major lecture from his father, got humiliated in front of what he thought was the whole population, and had to sit through one of the dullest meetings he'd ever had, he was grounded for a week, which meant remaining inside the underground palace. He truly thought the Gods were against him.

He wouldn't have been in such a bad mood if he knew what was in store for him.

It was right after Yami had been freed from his punishment that Pegasus struck. That morning when the prince realized with glee that he could finally go out and explore some more, he set off immediately, even skipping breakfast and brushing past all the servants in his excitement.

He flew to one of his favorite spots, a field of geysers which erupted several times each day. Yami absolutely loved playing with the hot steam that spurted out of them much as a child loved playing with sprinklers. He stretched out upon the hotter-than-normal ground, just enjoying the warmth the steam provided. However, this happy moment didn't last.

"THERE HE IS!!" All of a sudden, Yami found himself surrounded by his own soon-to-be subjects, many of whom he remembered from the meeting. And they didn't look too happy.

Fighting the urge to gulp, Yami spoke nervously, "Wh-What's going on?" He turned his head this way and that, only to find the same fury burning in whosever's eyes he looked into.

"Ha, well aren't you Mr. Innocent!" A random voice from the back shouted.

"Huh? Wait, what—" He didn't have time to finish his sentence for he was brutally seized by all four limbs and his mouth covered as if his very breathing was something deadly. His eyes darted frantically from one face to another only to be shot looks of disgust and hatred.

Mind whirling from confusion and pain, he passed out.

~*~*~*

Yami awoke groggily by a splash of lava on his face. (A/N: They have no water there. Lava refreshes them, k?) Blinking and clearing his still aching head, he finally realized he was chained up against a large stone slab. With practically the whole population glaring daggers at him. Desperately he searched for Shimon but to no avail.

"So, you're finally awake," The creepy voice sent shivers up Yami's spine and he shot his head to his right to look at the speaker—Pegasus. He blinked, not fully comprehending the situation nor the man's demonic grin.

"Who in the name of Ra[2] are you?" Yami hissed, more than a little annoyed.

Pegasus merely ignored him and stepped forward to address the crowd. "Fellow kinsmen! I congratulate you on finding and successfully capturing the culprit! But I must say Yami-boy here certainly is brave…" He paused to bring a hand up to grasp Yami's chin, chuckling in a deranged manner when the captive growled and tried to break free. "Trying to run away after killing his own father…"

Yami suddenly froze. 'WHAT…?!' It seemed as if time stopped at that moment as that statement fully settled in. 'F-father's…dead?? But I never…' He stood there bound and trapped for what seemed like an eternity, his confusion having turned in shock and agonizing horror. "I NEVER DID SUCH A THING!!!" He finally managed to roar out.

But it was lost against the angry yells of the mob who were stirred into a rage once again by Pegasus's blunt words. Cries of "Oh, yes you did!" and "We have proof!!" effectively drowned out Yami's words. Then, as if to prove their point, they parted to allow several guards to carry to the tri-color-haired teen what was left of his father's body. The corpse was thankfully covered in a black cloth, but it didn't stop the feeling of dread from hitting Yami right in the face.

Suddenly the boy found that his throat was extremely dry. He could only stare at what used to be the person he had loved and treasured more than anyone else. His father had always been there for him, teaching him everything, ever since his mother's death when he was born. The king had been a wise and just ruler, but always found time to spend with his son. And now…and now…

By now everyone had noticed how pale the prince's normally tanned face had become, but they were too much caught up in their rage to even consider that Yami had been framed. After all, the evidence was as clear as day…

It had been the one-of-a kind dagger that the king had entrusted his son with that was plunged into the mighty ruler's heart while he slept, setting the body on fire as well. And yet it wasn't until this morning when the servants went to awaken their king that they discovered this tragic and almost unbelievable event along with the burned remains of the mighty ruler. But whatever doubts of Yami being guilty fled their minds when Pegasus came into the scene and smooth talked the whole population into a rage.

"What a selfish brat! Killing the king just so he could inherit the throne before he was supposed to! To think he was actually going to be our next ruler…" However, the insults passed right through Yami.

Pegasus, who had enjoyed enough of the scene already, finally released the frozen boy's face. "Now, now, everyone, calm down. What's done is done. We cannot bring the king back, but we can give this murderer a suitable punishment. Why, doesn't the king's code of laws say something about a crime such as this?"

At this suggestion, everyone let out a gasp, for the punishment Pegasus was implying was the ultimate—banishment. And that involved opening the gate which had been closed and sealed for hundreds of years, or so they thought.

"My, isn't that a bit harsh for the poor boy?" One of the more tender-hearted mothers exclaimed only to shut up when she was shot a dangerous look from Pegasus.

"Come now. What use is this boy of now? Do you really want to have a murderer and a traitor still living in the same world as you?" The silver-haired man continued, pleased when he saw the crowd exchange agreeing glances with each other.

"No! You mustn't listen! Prince Yami is innocent!" Shimon protested, pushing his way through with much difficulty. "My bedroom's right next to the prince's! I would have known if he got up in the middle of the night to commit such a crime!"

"S-Shi…mon…" Yami managed to whisper in his bewildered state.

Pegasus remained calm even though he hadn't expected this. "You poor, poor man. I'm afraid you must be getting old and losing your hearing."

Shimon bristled at the insult, his cheeks hot, but he couldn't find anything to say against the supporting voices of Pegasus's comment. Sure, he WAS old, but still…

"The key to the gate is already in our hands," Pegasus went on. "So what do you say?" From the hundreds of shouts of approval that echoed throughout the area, it was clear that Pegasus had yet again achieved victory. He motioned to two of the burliest guards. They nodded and spread their wings, then, taking hold of the stone slab still with a limp Yami on it, flew off in the direction of the gate.

"No…Prince Yami…" Shimon moaned as he watched them disappear. He would've followed and tried again to prevent it, but it would have been in vain. The rest of the crowd had already left, save for a few mothers and children who would rather not see such a sight. Many were close to tears, as was the aged advisor. "Please…forgive me for not being able to protect you…" He whispered, his words lost to the wind.

~*~*~*

Yami still hadn't fully come back to his senses even as he was freed from the chains and forced to stand in front of the sacred gate he had gazed at in awe so many times before. Yet this time it was of fear. He had barely registered that the key to this gate, the key he had sought ever since he was a little boy, had finally been uncovered, and an uneasy dread filled him as he realized what awaited him. He had always dreamed of crossing the boundary of his own world…but not in this manner, not as a criminal, and not carrying the hatred of the people he had once trusted.

The words to the banishing ritual, uttered for the first time in many many centuries, passed completely through his brain. It was as if every inch of his body was frozen, save for his mind, which tortured him with thoughts of the previous hour, still remembering the shock of discovering his father was no longer alive. Even Pegasus had to shield his eyes from the light that spilled in through the now open gate, but Yami's crimson orbs just stared into it, unblinking and with a glazed expression.

He wasn't even aware that the portal seemed to be sucking him in, and even if he was, he could do nothing about it. Slowly, inch by inch, he was pulled in, the light almost consuming him in its depth and blocking out the reddish hues of the land he was so accustomed to.

Then, everything went black.

To Be Continued…

~*~*~*

[1] This is so people don't kill me. Shimon actually exists in the manga and he kind of watches over Yami (as the Pharaoh) but I'm not sure if he can use magic or not. I'm really scratchy in the ancient Egypt area so I'm making my own Shimon up. Ok?

[2] I know ZIP about gods and goddesses, so I would put a grand god of fire or flames or something, but the thing is I don't know of any. ^^;; So…uh…Ra will have to do, unless someone wants to enlighten me.

A/N: *blink, blink* Well, that was longer than expected. Gomen!! This must be the longest prologue you're ever read! *sigh* I originally started to write this as an English freewriting assignment, maybe that's why… And yes, I know, I know Yugi wasn't mentioned here, but it's just the prologue, okay? He will definitely be the next chapter and, of course, in every single one after that. ^_^ So kill me for being mean to poor Yami…I have nothing against Pegasus, except maybe for his creepy voice in the Japanese version, but I had to find a villain, didn't I? ^^;

Sugar Child: *yawn* Boooring.

YXW: O_O Where did you come from?!

Sugar Child: Heh. I followed you, of course. So THIS is where you ran off to… I can't believe you actually acted upon one of your ideas…

YXW: Yeah, I know. Scary, isn't it? Anyway, why are you still here? Don't you know Digimagic just gave you a ton of candy?

Sugar Child: Ooh! CANDY!! ^__^ *runs off at the speed of light*

YXW: ^^;; Er…please tell me what you think of it. Ugh, I know it's a boring beginning as my muse just HAD to point out. V_V It WILL get better…hopefully. I don't know if I should continue this or not…after all, I've got another fic to work on. ^^;; Drop a review and make my end-of-summer panic a little easier to bear.

Thank you! Please R/R!


	2. Chapter 1: Wounded

A/N: Hey everyone!! Guess what? I LIIIVE!!! ^___^ With bare scrapes of B's in Euro and Math, but still…

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WONDERFUL REVIEWS AND SUPPORT!!! ^___^ Really? You think this idea's original? I'm soooo glad people want me to continue this, which of course I shall!! Call me corny but reviews are motivation for me. ^^;; Especially when I'm loaded down until midnight each day with HW, even on the weekends! ;___; *sniff*

And I'm sorry, but there won't be any fun authoress notes in this story. I wanna keep these AN's short so I can type up each chapter more quickly. ^^;; But AiD will have them, so hopefully that's good enough. I think I should have chapter 23 done by the end of this upcoming winter vacation, even with 3 major projects due on the day we get back. @_@

By the way, my website's still up. And yes, I do have a website. I just took it off my profile page because my friend found my penname, but I somehow managed to convince her that this penname isn't mine (cuz she doesn't like yaoi and she'd probably freak out if she knew what I was writing ;_;). If she found my website, she'd immediately recognize my drawings -__-. But it's still there and I've finally started updating again. ^^

The URL is: www(dot)geocities(dot)com(slash)yuginyami(slash)warning(dot)html or just simply replace "warning" with "yugioh" to skip to the main page. Just replace the (dot)s with periods and (slash)es with slashes. Be warned, it's a Y/Y shrine! ^^

Also, Merry Christmas everyone!! (If you celebrate it.) I'm getting YGO episodes up to episode 171 for Christmas!! ^____^ Finally, I'll get to know what happens in this arc with Dartz and Raphael and people!! *happily fiddles with Yami necklace* Yes, my friend got me a heart shaped locket with a picture of Yami inside for my birthday. #^.^# I luvvvv it!!!!

Disclaimer and Info: Not mine. T_T (But Shimichi _is_ mine!! Mwahahahahaha!! My friends and I are working on our own manga just for kicks. ^^) Very AU and Yami/Yugi schtuff here too! Once again, don't like-don't read. ^^;

Thank you and here's chapter 1!

~*~*~*

**_Frozen Flames_**

Chapter 1: Wounded

Snowflakes drifted down from the puffy clouds above, enveloping the ground below in thick sheets of white. The frozen grounds below bustled with activity, though, amidst the cold chill that hung in the air, for the inhabitants there were used to it. It had always been the same—the grounds were always caked with snow and ice, and the sky was always a cold, grayish blue.

A boy walked down the frost bitten path amongst the many ice huts that littered the area, carrying a white basket in his arms. He had vivid black hair tipped with red and fringed with rich golden yellow bangs which contrasted greatly with the paleness of his skin. He wore an attire made entirely of ice shards that clung together smoothly like cloth and glittered in the reflecting sunlight like crystals. It covered the expanse of his chest and hips, leaving his arms, legs, and a small portion of his stomach bare. From the back of the outfit sprouted wings of pure white which shimmered like ice but looked and felt impressively like silk. His bright violet eyes shimmered with happiness as he hummed one of his favorite tunes. This boy, Yugi, was currently out to gather winterberries for the feast that was soon approaching.

On and on he walked until he reached deep into the snowy mountains. His view of the village was obscured by thick trees, but thankfully it wasn't snowing so he had no trouble keeping his bearings. Upon finally reaching a grove of winterberry bushes, Yugi started to bend down and pick them when he caught a glimpse of red. Blinking curiously at such a bright color in the middle of the rather pale mountains, he paused in his picking to spread apart the leaves of the bush that were blocking his view.

He gasped at the sight that met his eyes. Strewn in a row of frosty winterberry bushes was a boy around his age. And not just any boy, for Yugi immediately took notice of the striking tri-colored hairdo, almost identical to his own. But that wasn't what really attracted his attention; it was the fact that the stranger was from a completely different species! The red and black clothing along with the caramel skin tone and the tiniest hints of flames clinging to the still body indicated he was definitely NOT from this world.

Yugi spent a few more minutes just staring before his common sense returned and he noticed the other boy seemed to be in great pain. It was then that he noticed the blue tinge of the stranger's lips and the goosebumps that clearly indicated it was much too cold for comfort. Yugi wracked his brain, trying to recall the many stories—which he thought weren't true until now—his grandpa had told him and first attempting to identify this fascinating creature.

"Of course! He must be from Netsyu, the land of fire!" he said out loud to no one in particular. He shifted his gaze back to Yami and noted with immediate worry how small the flames around his arms and on his pants were. He remembered that his race, being cold and icy, could not touch those from Netsyu for fear of getting burned, but he saw no other way he could help his stranger.

He knelt down beside the still figure and gingerly brought a finger to Yami's head. He immediately jerked it back, but not because it was hot, but because it was an icy, clammy cold. In addition, frost was gathering around the edges of the face and limbs. He found himself wincing just thinking about it. What it must have felt like for this half-frozen fiery creature was probably the same as Yugi plunging himself into scorching flames.

Violet eyes darted around until they spotted a small cave almost hidden under the snow. After a few more tentative touches to Yami's skin, Yugi mustered up his strength and took the other by the arms, being careful to avoid the armbands which still had wisps of fire on them. He gently dragged the unconscious boy through the snow since he hadn't fully developed the muscles needed to lift very heavy objects yet. When he finally reached the mouth of the cave, he sighed in relief to see it was relatively dry and snow-free inside.

He set Yami against one of the large stone slabs and took a minute to just look at him. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw there weren't any physical wounds or bruises. The stranger hadn't moved at all since Yugi had found him, but he definitely knew he was still alive, for the flames on him hadn't completely gone out. Another one of the advantages of having an eccentric grandpa, for he wouldn't have known that little fact if the old man hadn't always been telling him stories.

Still, that didn't mean the other's health wasn't in serious condition. And Yugi couldn't see any other way to help him other than build a fire. "Build a fire…" He repeated to himself. Those words were so foreign to him that he surprised himself by still knowing them. But it would do wonders to warm up the mysterious boy and hopefully bring him back to consciousness. With that in mind, Yugi went back to the winterberry patch and retrieved his basket, also gathering lots of sticks, grass, and two sharp stones beneath all the snow.

He set the materials down next to Yami. Carefully, the violet-eyed boy broke apart his basket, piling the pieces and splinters until he got a generous mound of material that would hopefully fuel the fire he was going to attempt to make. He took the two stones and felt their icyness in his palms, wondering how in the world he would able to generate heat from them. But he knew it was possible. He had seen the people in the movies do it all the time [2].

Clicking and scraping sounds echoed in the cave as Yugi tried again and again to get the vital spark needed. All he got was sound and flakes of rock as they crumbled from the constant friction. Yugi winced as he felt the heat growing in the stones as they were starting to burn his hands. The pain almost became unbearable, and he was just about to give up when he took another look at his "patient."

His eyes widened in horror. Yami had definitely fallen into an even more critical condition than before even though it didn't seem possible. His flames, which had already shrunken so that they were barely visible, were flickering dangerously. The caramel color had given way to a light bluish tint, the only parts remaining tan were the ones close to the flickering flames.

"His flames are almost out…" Yugi's voice hitched to a panicky tone. He gripped the stones in his hands even though they were hurting him in frustration. But then it hit him. "The flames!!"

In a flash, Yugi had dropped the stones and took the longest stick he could and held the end to one of Yami's armbands. The flame eagerly spread onto the new fodder and burned into a bright mass on the end of the stick. Yugi could feel the sweltering heat, but he gritted his teeth and didn't let go. As soon as he brought the flame to the pile of wood he made, the whole thing ignited into a big, bright fire.

The small boy immediately shifted as far away from the heat source as he could and wrapped his wings around himself as a partial shield. Even at a distance the heat was unbearable, and his whole body felt like it was being pricked by a thousand needles. It was a completely new experience to him. Sure he had seen fires on the screen and in books, but it was completely different to actually have one right in front of him. It was a beautiful thing, too. The swirls of red, orange, and yellow danced and melded together, the tips licking at the air hungrily.

He was so entranced by the phenomenon (to him) that he almost forgot why he had made it in the first place. He finally looked over anxiously at Yami, whose flames had thankfully had stopped flickering and were visibly beginning to grow in size. Warm relief flooded the small boy. Why he cared so much about this stranger's survival he didn't know why but he assumed it was because of the mystery and excitement of finding someone of a completely different race from himself.

He frowned when he saw that the flames reached a certain point and stopped growing. The heat must have only been able to do so much, considering that the leather-clad boy had been literally frozen for Ra knew how long. Yugi was just able to try something else when he saw the fire he built start to diminish. He hastily grabbed a few more sticks lying around in the cave and threw them into the fire though some of them didn't go directly into the fire because he was throwing them from a distance.

The boy froze when one haphazardly thrown stick caused the fire to spread onto Yami's still unmoving body. It mingled with those framing the leather pants and spread until most of the taller boy was on fire. It took several seconds for Yugi to register that this was a good thing and so he stopped adding twigs and just sat back to watch anxiously.

It was then that Yami took his first breath in a long, long time.

Yugi rubbed his eyes, thinking they were playing tricks on him, but they weren't. He really had seen the other's chest rise and fall! Forgetting the pain from the heat, he crawled a little closer to watch in fascination. Not long after, the same thing happened again. And again. Soon enough, there was a steady, continuous series of inhales and exhales.

And then, eyelids opened to reveal striking crimson orbs.

Yami's head spun as he opened his eyes. Everything appeared blurry, but he couldn't see anything except the blackness of the cave's ceiling at the moment anyway. There was still a horrible ringing sound in his ears and his whole body ached with fatigue. 'Am I still…alive?' was the first thought that came to mind. He felt like he had all the strength sapped out of him even with the warmth of the flames on his body.

Yugi, who had let his curiosity get the better of him, crawled even closer to the now awake fiery teen. The crimson orbs were staring off into space, as if they couldn't register anything, which caused the smaller boy to frown. He had the overwhelming urge to poke the other for any other sign of life, but he knew better than to stick his finger into the flames.

Yami blinked when he saw a mass of color in front of his view where there had once been blackness. When his vision cleared, he nearly jumped at the sight. An almost exact mirror image of himself was staring down at him. The reflection of his own flames blended in with the amethyst of the other boy's curious eyes making them look even bigger and brighter than normal. "Aah!!"

The sound caused both to jerk a few more inches apart. Yami took a few seconds to calm his rapidly beating heart, taking the time to look around him, or as best as he could with his head still resting against the ground. White puffy stuff filled his vision to one side, and he stared at it with an equally incredulous expression. Then he looked to the other and found the strange lookalike of himself staring back at him, looking slightly bewildered but at the same time fascinated. Finally he found his voice albeit a very shaky one, completely lacking its normal richness and confidence. "W-Where am I?"

"Kooryu [3]," Yugi responded mechanically. 

Yami blinked at the flat tone of voice but was more intent on the word. It was so foreign to him that he couldn't even make the connection even with his superior skills in Japanese [4]. He merely nodded and the silence between the two continued on.

Yugi found himself sweating at the intense yet confused gaze of the other. He wanted to say something, _anything_, but his mouth wouldn't work after spitting out that one word. It had surprised himself as well, for he normally always spoke with emotion in his voice, yet his instincts had added the iciness, almost as if warning him that he shouldn't be too friendly. 'But why?' he wondered.

Finally a series of choked coughs broke the silence. Neither of the two had noticed at the fire had used up all the wood and had burnt out into a wisp of black smoke. In turn, the flames on Yami's body had diminished until all that remained were the ones naturally found on him, which were still relatively small.

Yami winced as he was hit with the full force of the cold air. His body instinctively tensed as pain pricked his body, then starting shivering due to the cold. It was accompanied by a stinging sensation along his back as well.

"Are you…okay?" Yugi was immediately seized with unexplainable concern once again, some of which showed through in his voice. Reacting quickly, he tore up the remains of his basket, built another pile, and lighted it in a similar fashion he had did before. He frowned when the realization hit him that he would have to keep a fire going all the time if this stranger was to survive.

"…Thanks…" Yami murmured weakly when he felt the pain slowly ebb away as he was shrouded in heat. The contrast of the temperatures still left goosebumps on his skin, though.

"H-here…have some water," Yugi suggested quietly. He took out a small canteen from his waist bag and held it carefully over the renewed fire until steam began to escape from the opening in the top. Then, hoping it was warm enough for Yami's tastes, brought it to the other's lips. He ignored the burning pain that overtook his hand due to the high temperature of the canteen.

Yami automatically gulped down the hot drink in appreciation. It was strangely sweet, so unlike the spicy tang of the lava he was used to drinking, and it refreshed his body immensely. The hot water ran down his cold, dry throat, warming it up enough for his vocal chords to work again. "Thanks," he repeated, feeling a bit stupid for not having anything else to say.

Yugi blinked at the deep, rich tone of voice which was so different from the stranger's first words. He withdrew the now empty canteen, not realizing that Yami was watching him with a mixture of gratefulness and confusion. "You're welcome. What's your name, by the way?" There it was again, the iciness that unintentionally tinged his voice. The small boy bit his lip, hoping he didn't sound too insincere.

Yami had noticed it too, but he ignored it, accepting it as a feature of this spiky-haired stranger. "Yami. Yours?"

The smaller boy couldn't help but smile a bit in reassurance to those questioning crimson orbs. "Yugi."

Yami continued to watch in a sort of daze. As of yet his brain still had not been thawed out so to speak. It was as if he was taking in information for the first time, and all he knew right now was this little violet-eyed savior. His eyes surveyed the other's crystalline wings with interest, his entire outfit actually, for he had seldom seen the color white before. Nor had he seen such light creamy peach. His thoughts were interrupted, though, as the pain across his back return. With a groan, Yami mustered up enough strength to shift onto his side a bit, and allowed one wing to unfold from his back.

Yugi stared at the fiery appendage with wide eyes. He hadn't noticed it had been there at all, but his mind had somehow registered it with no surprise as it was similar to his own in both structure and size. However, he noticed something just a bit…off about its shape. There was a huge strangely shaped opening towards the bottom, as if a chunk had been ripped out [5].

The other noticed as well. With a groan, Yami carefully allowed his wing to splay out alongside his body, already knowing the amount of damage due to the horrified look on Yugi's face. "It's n-nothing," he lied through his teeth, then added bitterly in his mind, 'Guess I'll never be able to fly again…And after all the tricks Shimon taught me…'

Finally something in his mind clicked. All the recent events and occurrences flooded back into him, and it finally dawned on him that position he was in. The first thought that came to mind was that he was supposedly in another world, which wasn't too hard to believe given the strange colors, people, er…person, and unbelievably cold environment. The second was accompanied by a wave of sickness in the pit of his stomach as he remembered the fate of his father. It was quickly replace by a hot fury, though, when he recalled exactly what had caused his first two thoughts.

"Pegasus!!" He spat out the name in disgust and anger, taking the other completely by surprise. Without thinking, he attempted to prop himself up with his arms even though his body was aching, freezing and yet burning at the same time.

Yugi grew even more bewildered when he saw this, for Yami obviously was not in any condition to move considering his broken wing and still not-as-healthy body flames. "Don't! You're not—" He reached out hastily to push the fiery boy back to the ground.

"OWW!!" Both teens yelped in pure agony as each of them experienced the one sensation they were most vulnerable against. Yugi withdrew his hand, which had turned a raw pink and still smoking from the burn he had just received, and Yami fell back against the stone slab, a part of his chest frozen whitish blue.

'Gotta remember never to do that again,' Yugi thought to himself as he plunged his hand into a nearby mound of snow. He was now beginning to understand why his instincts were telling him to keep his distance from a creatures such as Yami. Any kind of contact under normal circumstances would cause great pain to both of them. It was as his grandpa had told him. Some people just weren't meant to mix, and his people and Yami's were an example of such.

The sharp pain helped to calm Yami down, though. As the tri-color-haired boy allowed the frozen part of his body to melt next to the fire, he contemplated what had just happened as well as what he would do about the situation with Pegasus. No doubt the evil man was going to try to take over and possibly enslave his father's, no, _his_ people to do whatever he wanted. And it had been part of his plan to send Yami away so he wouldn't get in the way. Still, Yami wished he would have landed in another world, any other world, other than this. He was certain there could be nothing worse than a place as centered around snow and ice as his homeland was around lava and fire. Already, he had proved vulnerable to the inhabitants here, for even the gentlest of touches sent him reeling in agony. At least he knew it didn't hurt only him, though. It might be helpful to use his own heat as a weapon if Pegasus had any henchmen here as well.

Still, he felt kind of bad he had caused this particular icy inhabitant pain. The boy had more or less saved his life. He owed the very fact that he existed right now to Yugi, who had done so even though they were complete strangers to each other. Why the amethyst-eyed creature was so icy with some of his words was an unexplainable mystery to Yami, and he didn't feel like brooding over it nor how similar they looked. It was unnerving, actually, to have someone who looks almost exactly like you to rescue you from the pit of death. Yami almost thought this was some kind of crazy dream, but the pain, the cold sensation, the goosebumps…they were so _real_.

His head started to spin from the sheer overload of bizarre events, and he wanted nothing more than to just sleep everything off. His aching body desperately craved rest, and his jittery nerves weren't helping his condition. 

"You should get some rest," Yugi's voice floated gently across the room to the crimson-eyed boy. Yami didn't need any persuasion. He closed his eyes, forcing his mind off the still sharp pain in his exposed wing and the dull throb where Yugi's hand had touched him a few moments ago.

Yugi watched him thoughtfully, still tending to his own burn, and found himself wondering what had made the other shout out with such rage. 'It must have had something to do with how he winded up here,' the small boy thought as he threw some more sticks into the fire, now used to the discomfort the heat caused. He yawned, realizing how exhausting the recent turn of events had made him. It was still early and he wasn't expected to be back from the mountains until late afternoon, so he decided he would take a small nap himself. He leaned back against the wall of the cave and curled his wings around himself. 

Within minutes, both were fast asleep.

To Be Continued…

~*~*~*

[1] "Netsu" means "heat" in Japanese. See the connection? Hopefully?

[2] Yes, they do have t.v. there. ^^;;

[3] "Koori" means "ice" in Japanese. Yes, these names are corny, but I couldn't think of anything better! .

[4] Yami's world is very detached. They forbid the people from knowing anything about other worlds while it's the other way around where Yugi lives. That's why Yugi has some basic knowledge about Yami's race but Yami doesn't have a clue. ^^ Plus, if Yugi didn't know a thing, he wouldn't have been able to save him as he did. Heehee…

[5] Yes, I realize Yami's wings are made of fire, and fire can't really be torn normally. But in this fic, it can! Why, you ask? Er…just because I said so! ^^;

A/N: -.- Phew, finally done with that. I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT!!! And the good fluffy stuff hasn't even gotten started yet. Oh, well, I like to take my time. Yami and Yugi have to meet first, right?? ^^;; Also, I'm really sorry if they're kind of OOC. I'm trying to make a point here, I really am…with the whole iciness instinct and all. Again I think I went overboard with descriptions…Blame my English teacher!! My English teacher, I tell you!! O_O Um…but hopefully this story's getting better?

Now for the thank-yous! I don't wanna fall waaaay behind like in my other fic…

Cherry-San (you're the first reviewer! ^_^ Here's a cookie!), Liona Skycat, SoulDreamer, smiley, Smarty1, Difinity (^^ I'm glad you remember!), mai-san, Koishii no Tenshi, Sorceress MooNBlaDeR, Jane Lee, Crystal Hikari, Fin-Phoenix (thank you! I guess Ra _can_ work for their God), Princess Strawberry (really? Addictive sugar??), Anime-fan Meepa, tenshimagic (*giggles* Mermaids…), AnimeFan13, Yami Hoshiko (hey, you think I _like hurting Yami? ;_;), YumeTakato, Authoress-sama, WhiteLightening, Phoenix51, Digimagic, Ragna01 (well, I have no intention of other pairings yet…), Starkiss (gomen ne!), Abi2, Mystic-fox, Mel Gods, Carmen5, Merodi no Yami (all it takes is practice…I guess ^^;), YuugiLover3, Kyuugi, aznsilhouette247, vampirexXx, Diamondelle, Katt26, DaLizzie, DragonMaiden1 (glad this makes you so happy), NekoHitori, DestinyDealer (mwahahahaha!! Thanks for the presents! ^.~), koosei, Goddess Chloe, It'sHardToBelieve, Akuma Malick, and Destiny (um, don't think that's word, but who says you can't use it? ^^)!! @__@_

I REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS CHAPTER!!! It's been so long since I updated, I really can't blame anyone if they've given up on checking. Thanks again to everyone who've been kind enough to e-mail me to see if I was still alive! ^-^

Thank you! Please R/R!


	3. Chapter 2: Protection

A/N: THANK YOU ALL OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS RIGHT NOW! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE IT! "Frozen Flames" has been dead for so long...but I plan on reviving it as best I can! AND THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO REMEMBERED ME AFTER MY 1.5 YEAR "DEATH" PERIOD! I'm SO grateful you actually read the new chapter of "An Angel in Disguise" after all this time (and thought it was still good!) :sobs happily: I hope this new chapter of "Frozen Flames" can meet your expectations as well!

Don't worry, this was a lot easier to type up than I thought it would be. There are so many ideas swarming in my head that it'll probably be a while before I hit a block:) I still can't believe so many people enjoyed this strange idea of mine though! It still has a loooong way to developing, so please bear with me.

Sorry, I probably should have done this for AiD, but I'll just briefly summarize what's happened so far in FF so you won't have to read the two previous chapters again. Basically, Yami, the prince of Netsyu, the land of fire, was framed for the murder of his father by a power-hungry invader, Pegasus, and was banished from his homeland as punishment. He landed in Kooryu, the land of ice, where he was found and tended to by Yugi. Now both have fallen asleep in a cave. Oh, and Yami and Yugi are forbidden from contact of any kind because of their drastically different natures and origins. Once they did touch accidentally, but it caused both of them extreme pain (Yugi got burned and Yami got frozen).

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea/plot...which I'm not even sure I own anymore. O.o I've stopped reading Yu-Gi-Oh fics, so please let me know if any part of this is similar to another fic's!

Info: This fic is completely AU and contains Yami/Yugi shounen-ai! If it bothers you, PLEASE LEAVE NOW!

Random Note: WHAT THE HECK:kicks Fanfiction(dot)net: File upload doesn't allow you more than one punctuation mark at the end anymore?(insert a row of !s) WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO HOW CAN WE EXPRESS OUR SOULS WITHOUT EMPHASIS? NOT ONLY ARE THE SMILEYS GONE BUT NOW THIS? (+o+)

Thank you. Here's a very belated chapter 2!

.oOOo.

_**Frozen Flames**_

Chapter 2: Protection

Yugi's eyes fluttered open as the chill of the night air pierced his face in a wave of refreshment. Thinking it was simply an open window, he was prepared to roll over and return to sleep when he finally noticed the discomfort of his wings. They had uncurled while he was sleeping and were now both splayed on the floor behind him. And they were tingling with an odd...warmth.

The heat fully awakened the boy's senses as a rush of the recent events of the day swept through his mind. He sat up and whipped around to meet a pair of watchful crimson eyes through the flames of a small but blazing fire. Startled and a bit embarrassed that he was caught watching, Yami returned his eyes down to his source of life and fed another stick to the hungry flames.

"Sorry...did I wake you?" Yami had tried to keep the fire as small and as far away from Yugi as possible, but given the size of the cave, it still wasn't enough to keep some of the heat from reaching the icy boy. And of course he dared not try to move Yugi after their last painful contact. Instead, he had taken the time to ponder his options and to study the new fascinating companion he had made.

"No, it's all right! It was a good thing you did, actually. I wasn't planning on sleeping this long," Yugi replied sheepishly. He then frowned as he looked outside at the darkness that had fallen over Kooryu. The bright snow prevented everything from being pitch-black, but he still disliked nighttime. At least it had stopped snowing, though. "Grandpa's probably worried sick by now."

"You should go home, then."

"What?" Yugi spun back to meet Yami's eyes in surprise, as if the very notion were preposterous. "But I can't just leave you here!"

Surprisingly, Yami remained calm, even if he also was a bit sad at the idea of Yugi leaving. "It's okay. I'm no longer in critical condition, and as long as I have this cave and some sticks, I can survive." When the other was about to protest, he added, "I don't think I can go with you, either, in all that snow. And what about your people?"

The violet-eyed boy fell silent at that. He dared not even imagine the probable reactions of others of his kind to a foreign fiery creature who posed as much danger to them as they did to him. Yugi had accepted him, but that didn't mean others would. Sometimes being one of the few open-minded, kind-hearted ones of such an icy civilization had its downsides. He sighed as he tried to think of another solution. "At least you should move to a cave closer to my village. If you can't walk in this snow, I'll go back and find something you can ride in. A sled, maybe."

Yami blinked at the foreign word, but he dared not ask what a "sled" was. If it was a means of transportation, it was good enough for him. He was still in awe of Yugi's determination to help him. All the while he had been watching the boy as he slept, he had been wondering what it was that drove the other to do so much for him. He knew he had Ra to thank for letting him fall into the hands of such a caring, selfless creature.

"I'll be right back," Yugi announced as he stepped outside into the snow. Before Yami could say anything, he vanished into the misty night, leaving the fiery creature free to return to his thoughts.

.oOOo.

As he trudged through the waist-deep snow, Yugi felt annoyed by the weather for the first time in his life. It had to be today of all days for an extra-long period of snowfall, which left the entire area blanketed in about twice as much snow as it normally received. Normally he would have loved the extra fluff to play in, but today it was only being a hindrance. It was as if Nature was also trying to divert him from interacting with such a foreign stranger. Still, he plowed on, not daring to fly, for he wished to leave a path to follow back to the cave.

He was so busy looking down and glaring at the snow that he didn't notice what approached him from the sky.

"Yo! Yugi, is that you?" A voice called from above. Yugi barely had time to register who it was before he was gripped in a tackle-hug.

"J-Jou?" He mumbled in surprise. "What're you—?"

"It's already midnight, so I was sent to look for you." Jounouchi finally released the startled boy to shake some snow out of his golden-blonde hair, which seemed to shimmer with a light of its own in the darkness. He was dressed in a similar fashion as Yugi, in clothes spun of pure ice, or rather, pants spun of pure ice. Yugi was one of the few males who actually bothered to cover their chests. "Where have you been? Your gramps and I have been really worried!"

"I'm sorry, I kind of...ran into a dilemma." Yugi was about to explain when he spotted the sled that had been tied to Jounouchi's waist. Apparently Jou had feared he would have found his friend unconscious in the snow. "Can you follow me for now? I'll explain on the way."

Seeing the earnestness and anxiety in those large violet orbs, Jounouchi found that he couldn't refuse.

.oOOo.

Yami was already on the verge of sleep by the time Yugi returned. The wait had felt like such a long time that the crimson-eyed boy had nearly given up. With a sigh of disappointment, he had lain back down on the musty ground and tried to sleep. It was for the best, he supposed. Anyone with any common sense would have gone home and stayed home, and he didn't want to trouble Yugi further. He shouldn't be feeling so disappointed; he should be feeling relieved that the other was safe. Yami cursed himself for being so weak. It was a new feeling indeed, but he couldn't deny that he already felt a sense of loss when Yugi wasn't there with him anymore. He couldn't explain why.

"Yami? I'm ba—"

"WHAT THE—?" Jounouchi's yelp of shock and disbelief was what really jarred Yami to his senses. He turned around to find a pair of huge honey-colored eyes staring at him as if he had three heads. "Yugi! You didn't tell me you found and rescued a Netsyurian! Don't you know those things are dangerous? They're the absolute opposite of our race, and they can burn our entire world into outer space if they wanted to!"

Yugi's frown turned into what could almost count as an angry scowl (A/N: ...if he didn't have such an angelic face!). "Jou! First of all, he's not a 'thing,' second of all, he was _dying_, and lastly, we can hurt them just as much as they can hurt us!" Even though his eyes were focused on his friend, his mind thought of his hand, which still had visible burn marks from touching Yami's chest. Jounouchi apparently hadn't noticed yet. "And he won't survive unless we bring him to the village, if not from the cold, then from hunger."

Jounouchi still looked ready to argue, but he was taken aback by the serious concern that laced Yugi's otherwise light, carefree voice, and he swallowed his complaints. He had never seen his friend so bold or firm before. Little did he know what trouble the shorter boy had taken to think of an appropriate response and to express it in such an uncharacteristic way. He took one last suspicious glance at Yami before untying the sled from around his waist and placing it in the snow at the mouth of the cave.

"Come on, Yami. This is a sled. Just sit and hold on. It's not wood, so you won't burn it." Yugi smiled at Jounouchi before explaining.

Yami, who was still alarmed by the quarrel he caused, slowly and silently made his way onto the sled. It was cold, but it didn't matter at the moment. He was washed with more gratitude toward Yugi than he could have ever thought possible. Those violet eyes were fixed on his as well with such gentleness that he felt even worse about dragging another stranger into helping him. "Thanks, Yugi," was all he could manage.

Jounouchi said nothing the entire way as he grudgingly helped Yugi pull Yami along by the rope. It was easy to start off since the cave was on a small hill, but afterwards they had to pull the sled at a high speed to keep it from sinking into the deep snow.

With the two of them flying at top speed, they reached the village in record time. Yugi was relived to find that most of the people had gone to sleep, so it was easy to sneak Yami into his own house, which was thankfully big enough to withstand melting from the flames on Yami's body. After the ride in the cold, however, the Netsyurian's flames were once again alarmingly small. Yugi immediately noticed this and started to prepare a stone hearth in order to make another fire.

"Yugi!" A gray-haired man popped out from around a corner and turned a relieved yet disapproving eye on his grandson. "Where have you been? And where are the winterber—" Sugoroku was stopped short when he took note of Yami, who was still sitting on the sled next to the stone hearth Yugi was busily making. However, he, unlike Jounouchi, did not have an outburst. Instead, he remained silent until Yugi finished lighting a fire. Yami refused to meet the old man's eyes as well, instead, focusing on the pile of sticks and stones and wishing he could light them. He would ask to ask permission first, but now didn't seem like the right time.

Thick silence filled the room.

"Yugi..."

"I know, Grandpa, I know!" Yugi cut off the old man before the lecture started. He had already heard enough from Jounouchi's outburst, which had been pretty painful to hear, and he didn't think he could take hearing the same things repeated in one night. "But I couldn't just leave him in the cold!"

"Yugi! You don't understand what you're doing, my boy! We shouldn't—we can't keep him here!" In his distress, Sugoroku started to approach Yami, forgetting momentarily that he couldn't have done anything anyway. He couldn't touch Yami either, but he was too caught up in the moment to think logically.

At this movement, Yugi felt panic rise up in his throat. "NO!" Forgetting his knowledge of Netstyurians as well and just relying on instinct, he rushed forward to stand in front of Yami, his arms flung out. Unfortunately, he wasn't too careful.

"OWW!" Yugi yelped when he accidentally stepped on Yami's toes. The other boy, too, winced in visible pain, but in an effort to keep his pride and politeness in such a delicate situation, he bit his lip from shouting out. While he tried to melt his partially frozen toes by the hearth, Yugi was tending to the nasty burn on the sole of his foot on the crystal sofa. It took a moment for the others to figure out what had just happened before reacting.

"The ointment's over here!" Jounouchi exclaimed, tossing a bottle to Sugoroku who also sat down to help his grandson.

The elderly man sighed as he applied ointment to Yugi's burn. "This was what I meant. It's too dangerous to have him in the same house as us."

"I don't care. A few burns here and there can't compare with having your entire body immersed in pain." Surprised at this bold response, Sugoroku was at a loss for words. He remained silent as he finished bandaging Yugi's foot. Jounouchi, who felt that the atmosphere was finally calm enough, decided to speak up.

"Yugi's got a point, Mr. Mutou. He'll die if we leave him out there." Sure, Jounouchi was still ambivalent about the whole thing himself, but he trusted his friend's judgment and decided to stand by him.

"Please, Grandpa?" Without noticing it himself, Yugi turned the full force of his puppy dog eyes on his grandfather. Sugoroku saw in those violet depths that the boy was earnest and genuinely concerned.

'How typical of Yugi...' He thought with a sigh before finally conceding. "All right. Just for tonight, though. In the morning, we'll have to think of something." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he was glad he had said them. Yugi's entire countenance brightened up in a way only he could achieve. Not only did the boy's face light up, but his wings perked up, and his entire body seemed to shimmer. Sugoroku chuckled inwardly before patting his grandson on the head and getting up from the couch. "Now if you'll excuse me, this old man has been kept up long enough. Jounouchi, you're welcome to stay too."

"Nah, I think I should be getting back to my own place. It's not too far anyway." The blonde turned to Yugi and made a face of nervous apology. "Sorry I can't help you out further, but my dad's going to have a fit." Taking one last, wary look at Yami, he waved goodbye and raced out the door.

Sugoroku didn't even look at Yami before disappearing into his own room, and no one expected it out of him. He was merely acting as any other Kooryurian would act, with that same, icy indifference towards foreigners the race was known for. Yugi sighed when he realized he was once again on his own when it came to helping Yami.

"...Thank you," Yami murmured into the silence, still overwhelmed by what had just happened. Someone had actually gone through so much to defend him, protect him, something that even Shimon hadn't done for him. His guardian had always meekly stepped down after a few exchanges, like he had done when he tried to contradict Pegasus. Yami knew the man had a kind heart, but he couldn't express his opinions firmly and skillfully enough to actually win an argument.

"Oh, it was nothing," Yugi responded, suddenly feeling embarrassed until the grateful scrutiny of those intense crimson orbs. "I-I was just doing what's right. After all, life's more important than anything else, right?" He said with a warm smile.

Yami blinked as he felt his heart skip a beat. This boy was so...philosophical. He had such a broad way of thinking that even Yami, who was quite intellectually skilled in this area himself, was amazed. He felt sheepish as he nodded in agreement, matching Yugi's smile with a small one of his own.

It was then that Yugi remembered the makeshift hearth. "Ah! I almost forgot! You must be freezing right now." Like before, he brought a stick to one of Yami's body flames and used it to light the entire pile. As Yami bathed in the orangey red flames gratefully, Yugi backed up until he was at a comfortable distance from the heat and just watched the phenomenon with fascination. He couldn't help but stare extra long at the still visibly torn fiery wing. "Does it still hurt?"

"Hmm?" Yami followed Yugi's eyes to his own injury, eyes widening slightly. He had completely forgotten about it. He wasn't sure if it was because his body was now too numb to feel anything or he was still too caught up in everything that had just happened. But either way, the pain was gone temporarily, and he was grateful for that. "No...surpri—"

He was cut off by a sudden chill rushing up his leg. It was then that he realized the fire he had made had melted the icy floor and made a small puddle surrounding his feet. Jerking his feet upwards from that ice-cold puddle, he scrambled to put out the fire with his good wing.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I should've realized the floor..." Yugi rushed forward to help him, but was stopped by the blast of heat that reached him, and he couldn't help but shudder in pain.

"No, it was my fault!" When the fire was effectively stamped into a pile of ash, Yami leaned back onto the sled, drawing his legs up so his feet could rest on the cool metal surface as well. Seeing the concerned look on Yugi's face at the now-extinguished heat source, he tried to reassure him. "It's all right. I'm quite warm now." The flames on his body proved it; they were now blazing brightly.

Yugi sighed in relief, but the worried look didn't leave his eyes. A new dilemma just struck him. Where was Yami going to sleep? All of the beds in his house were made mostly of ice, which would not only melt by daytime, but more importantly, hurt the fiery creature. Both boys' eyes met briefly in understanding.

"It's okay. I can sleep while sitting," Yami motioned to the sled underneath him, which wasn't big enough to lie down on, but enough to support his entire body if he sat on it as he was doing now.

"The sled! Oh, I have some other ones!" Yugi rushed out of the room and came back later with a few other similar sleds. As he laid them side-by-side to create a makeshift bed, he was mentally thanking his odd habit of keeping everything even when they were no longer functional. Most of the sleds had rusted and/or broken blades, but the seats on top were still usable. His grandpa had made fun of him for keeping such "trash" cluttered in the house, but Yugi bet he couldn't say anything now. After laying out the foundation, he covered the frame with a big piece of silk, the only fabric his race knew of. (1) "I'm sorry, it's kind of a hard bed and I don't think you can use our snow-filled pillows..."

"No, it's fine." Yami assured, gratefully lying down on the bed. "Besides, I've always got my pants."

"W-WHAT?" It took a few seconds for Yugi to figure out that Yami meant using his pants as a pillow. But when it did hit him, his face flamed an incredible pink that stood out even more compared to the rest of his pale body.

"Just kidding," Yami grinned at the shocked expression on the other's face. Even if he was wearing something under those leather pants, (2) he knew it would be too discourteous to the people who had done so much to help him. "Thank you...and good night." Inwardly, he was beginning to feel a bit bad for scaring the other, but the words had slipped out of his mouth almost involuntarily. It had happened many times back in Netsyu, and he was always reprimanded by Shimon afterwards, but he just couldn't shake the habit.

Luckily, Yugi recovered quite quickly. "Aa...good night."

As Yugi turned off the lights and left for his own room, he couldn't help but smile when he realized Yami felt better enough to joke around.

.oOOo.

"WHAT? HE'S ALIVE?" Pegasus nearly roared in outrage. As it was, his voice was probably loud enough to wake most of the people in his new home—the palace. After Yami's banishment, he had carefully accepted the throne with such modesty that he knew he had already hooked the trust of the people. It would only be a matter of time before he finally revealed his true nature as an invader and took over the planet, but first, he planned on enjoying the quirks of royalty until it began to bore him. Getting rid of the prince had been easier than planned, and he had plenty of time to play around. Still, he had barely even broken into his new lifestyle when he was struck with such horrible news.

"Y-Yes, Mr. Pegasus Your Highness Sir." A man with grayish hair and dark black glasses murmured, his head bowed deeply in apology. Croquet, one of Pegasus's most trusted minions, had been able to sneak into Netsyu amidst all the commotion and rioting of the people. He too had an artificial outfit that allowed him to blend in as an inhabitant in the fiery world. "Our sources have pinpointed him in the icy land of Kooryu. Don't worry, he won't survive long." At Pegasus's skeptical and slightly worried expression, he added, "But we'll still send some to finish the job, if you wish."

"Very good, Croquet. You've read my mind." Slowly the anxiety began to vanish from Pegasus's features, and he leaned back in his throne once more relaxed, his silvery hair swishing in front of his face. "Just make sure no one else finds out."

"Of course, Mr. Pegasus Your Highness Sir."

"Please, just 'Your Highness' is fine," the long-haired man smirked, reveling in his new, powerful position. He watched complacently as Croquet nodded, bowed, and exited the room. Once he was alone again, he pulled out his favorite stuffed bunny from his pocket, the miniature of Silly Rabbit, and began to snicker to himself in the eerie silence. "Ah, Yami-boy, how lucky you are, how lucky." As he spoke softly, he pretended to address the animal. "I'm not a bloodthirsty man, but knowing your nature, you leave me no choice." He fingered the rabbit's ears as his grin widened and his snickers gradually turned into outright maniacal laughter. "Banishment was just the beginning...just barely the beginning..."

To Be Continued...

.oOOo.

(1) The land of fire uses leather exclusively, the land of ice uses silk. Eheheh, I don't know why, it just seems to fit.

(2) ...Which means Yami DOESN'T wear underwear! xD I've talked to many people before about this very subject, and we've all agreed it's impossible to fit anything under those skin-tight pants. ;)

A/N: Wow...hehe. Yugi was quite dominant in this chapter, ne? Standing up to Jou and taking care of Yami...O.O I hope that's okay. I just realized this after I had typed all this. But sometimes a reversal of roles is good!

I'm so sorry this chapter is so late! V.V I promise there WILL be regular updates in the future! I'll be updating this fic more often than AiD though. I hope that's ok. -.-;;; The chapters are shorter than those in AiD, but there's a purpose to their cutoff points because there's actually a plan to this fic!

Sugar Child:gasp: You don't say!

YXW: ...SINCE WHEN DID YOU COME BACK!

Sugar Child: Uh, duh. I'm your muse! I always haunt, I mean, I'm always with you!

YXW: ...Right. Well, you can stay, I suppose. I've missed you all the time I wasn't writing! (Yes, pathetic, I know. Even though I've gotten into new fandoms briefly, I've never written for them.) Oh, Miyosuke, thank you so much for caring enough to wonder what fandom I've gotten into nowadays! I'm not sure if you're reading this since you reviewed AiD, but I'll answer in both places. I've been floundering for a while without a true obsession though I did watch a lot of anime and read a lot of manga. About half a year ago, though, I become a Full Metal Alchemist fan...more specifically Roy/Ed. Maybe since I'm older, I'm not as obsessive with it as I was with Yu-Gi-Oh, but I still get kicks out of fanfics, fanart, and recently, Live Journal Communities!

Many of these people probably have forgotten this barely-started fic, but I still want to thank them all for their reviews! Thank you It'sHardtoBelieve, Fields of View, Miami-chan, Kay B. Toyas, HikariEryaviel, Akuma Malick, Fin Phoenix, xxinfinity, Celestial Magician, Difinity (Extra glomps to you! I've missed you so much!), Anime-fan Meepa, Perpetually Annoyed, Tadashi (Thanks for reading chapter 23 of AiD!), DaLizzie, Digimagic, Destiny, YumeTakato, Carmen-Nemrac, Kitty Neko, jkateel, NeonWorld, smilez, Sadame XX, Malfoy's Kitten, Yelene-ryudream, Dreamer Wolf, Vsakura, Cerul the White Paragon, Sansi, Darkstar, Latias gang, Shire, SoulDreamer, citcat-chan, Jade McDohl AKA Sweet Madison, Vampiress24, Darkstarsara, Lady-of-Dark-Ice, the moon at twilight, OmegaScorpio, SPUW Commander, Ruler of the e, Wolf and Dragon, Daikaio, and Abbey!

If this chapter hasn't scared you off/bored you already, thank you so much for sticking through it to the end! I tried to make the ending a bit more fast-paced with less description, but I'm not even sure what pace is suitable. I'd really really appreciate constructive criticism, especially after my writing skills have rusted after such a long time!

Thank you! Please R/R!


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